B. Gál Edit – Veres Gábor szerk.: Agria 47. (Az Egri Múzeum Évkönyve - Annales Musei Agriensis, 2011)

Gy. Gömöri Ilona: Marci Hevesen - Egy helyi szólás folklorisztikus hagyományai

Ilona Gy. Gömöri Marci in Heves. The folkloristic traditions of a proverb The "(He/she) Lives like Marci in Heves" is a local saying, but it is generally known throughout the country. Its meaning refers to: lives well, gets along easyly, spends his days merrily. It belongs to the proverbs in the system of folklore genres. Its earliest known mention is dated from 1851. It may be based on an old story, which gradually faded. Several variants have been generated about its origin. The possible explanations assigne different roles to Marci. Accordingly, nine story-explaining origin is known, in which the hero appears as a typical local character - and a stratum of society at the same time - (intellectual, craftsman, merchant, noble, vagabond). Anecdote versions feature important characteristics from the history of Heves city and its everyday life: Heves melon, noble families and their mansions, the Zöldhordó restaurant, etc. One of the interpretations highlights the erotic content of the saying, according to it Marci represents masculinity, while Heves (as a common noun or adjective, meaning 'hot blooded', 'temperamental', or 'fierce') is an expression of femininity. The development and evolution of the variants share the general characteristics of folklore: community character, word of mouth character and unknown originator. The saying with the figure of Marci is an integrated image of the Heves city. A folklorictic phenomenon, which is still changing in form and content. 386